Our friends from twoleftfeet.ch sent us this video and kindly ask us to post something about it. It is a recap of the Swiss Snowboard Championships 2010 in Zermatt, which went down on 10 and 11 September. It contains a lot of nice slopestyle riding in one of the most scenic European resorts. So why shouldn’t we post it? Unfortunately, we could not find any women’s results, but here’s who won the men’s comps:

Results

Halfpipe Men

1. Patrick Burgener
2. Yannick Imboden
3. Iouri Podladtchikov
4. Christian Haller

Big Air Men

1. Gian Luca Cavigelli
2. Max Buri
3. Fabian Fassnacht
4. Aurel Anthamatten

Where: Ischgl, Austria

Snowboard connoisseurs don’t turn away from competitions after the US Open: They focus their attention on the smaller events of the season in search of some new talent and the ginger-boys of tomorrow. No really! How else would you fill your AM team? And since you were asking: The riding in 9 out of 10 sponsor-me-videos is worse than ours. That’s how bad they are. That’s why we’d rather talk about the World Rookie Fest Finals. Let’s cut to the chase: The riders await many team managers’ googly eyes, prize money, a spot in the next Pirates movie, a freeriding trip to Chile, an Onboard mag shooting, and a wild-card for the next Air&Style rookie challenge. You almost wonder why you would want to become a pro if all of this is up for grabs for rookies?!

Armin Popp took this picture of Roope Tonteri popping.

This 4Star TTR even goes down from April 7th to 10th 2010 in Ischgl, Austria. It features the hopefuls of the Swatch TTR Tour battling for some of the last points available this season. All throughout the season, upcoming snowboard talents from all over the globe have been competing at international 1, 2, and 3Star World Rookie Fests that were held under the wings of the World Snowboard Federation in corporation with National Associations. Now the 4Star finals are up ahead which offer up to 500 Swatch TTR ranking points and the title of the 2009/2010 WSF World Rookie Champion.

One of the most impressive rookies of the season, Roope Tonteri (FIN), is back to defend his World Rookie Champion title in Ischgl. After a successful season at 5 and 6Star Swatch TTR events around the world, Tonteri is now ranked 8th in the TTR world ranking list and is certainly more prepared than ever for the rookie battle this weekend. Also on the start list is one of the youngest talents out of Switzerland, Patrick Burgener who currently sits in World No. 46 due to his good performances at the 4Star Nescafe Champs Leysin, where he placed second and the 5Star Burton Canadian Open where he finished in 8th in the halfpipe. In the mix are also Max Glatzl out of Austria, and World No. 43, Tor Lundström from Norway who has collected some good results at the 5Star Burn River Jump and the 3Star Protest World Rookie Fest this season.

On the women’s side Katarzyna Rusin (POL), currently sitting in World No. 43, comes to Ischgl to try to repeat her victory at the 3Star World Rookie Fest in Livigno, Italy earlier this season. Other rookie girls eager to measure their talents include Finnish Kristina Nisula and Italian Lisa Caserotti who will be making some of their first appearances on the competition circuit outside their home countries this weekend, after many victories at 1 and 2 Star events in their home countries.

The Protest World Rookie Fest is presented by the new Austrian snowboard association (n.asa) and offers additional prizes such as an invitation to film with Pirate Movie Productions, a freeride film trip in Chile with international Red Bull pros, shooting with Onboard European Snowboard Magazine and a wild card for the Billabong Air & Style Rookie Challenge 2010 in Innsbruck. This event is a true opportunity for newcomers to enter the international stage. Furthermore, it forms the link between the WSF and the TTR and their rookie to pro structure set up.

Where: Leysin, Switzerland

The snow and the fog didn’t get the better of the very motivated snowboarders in the finals of the NESCAFE CHAMPS 2010 in Leysin. The Frenchman, Johann Baisamy wins this edition and Patrick Burgener finishes in second place, only a point away from the top spot on the podium. Maxence Tevelle (FRA), takes 3rd place. Jan Scherrer, surprisingly strong in the qualifications, finishes a respectable 4th place.

Read our lengthy event report here!

Jan Scherrer. Photo: Messikommer

Where: Leysin, Switzerland

Johann Baisamy. Photo: Messikommer

I have to start this event wrap-up with some personal ramblings: On Saturday, 6 March 2010, I drove all the way back from the southernmost mountains of Piemont (Italy) to our lovely office in Munich, Germany. Just when I had made it over the San Bernadino pass into Switzerland I entered a heavy snowstorm, which basically would not stop until I arrived in Munich in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Now I know that Leysin, the venue of the Nescafé Champs, is a good 160 kilometer away from where I made my profound meteorologic observations, but I figured these guys would run into some weather troubles nonetheless. Therefore I was utterly impressed when I learnt that they still managed to pull off a great event. Alright then, here’s the straight dope from the TTR (note the frequent mentioning of the weather):

Despite difficult weather condition at the 4Star Nescafé Champs 2010 in Leysin, French snowboarder Johann Baisamy stepped up his game and took the win together with 500 Swatch TTR points. Patrick Burgener finishes in second place, only a point away from the top spot on the podium and now sits in World No. 40 on the TTR World Snowboard Tour. The second Frenchman on the podium was Maxence Tevelle in 3^rd place.

Baisamy Shines Despite Difficult Weather Conditions

Due to difficult weather conditions, the decision was made to run one super final instead of semi finals and finals which then saw 18 athletes, 10 qualified and 8 invited riders, competing for the Nescafe Champs title.  After the first run, the young Swiss prodigy, Patrick Burgener, occupied the top spot, but was soon to be unseated by the audacious riding of Johann Baisamy, who would go on to win the 2010 edition in his first appearance at the event.

“It’s the first time that I’ve competed in this contest. When I saw that I was 2^nd after the first run, I really let loose in my 2^nd run. I had nothing to lose!”, said an ecstatic Johann Baisamy. Patrick Burgener, who had slightly injured one of his knees during training the day before, didn’t want to take too many risks, which ended up costing him the top spot. Maxence Tevelle, another French rider, secured the last place on the podium, finishing 3^rd.

Hailing from Bern, another rising star of Swiss snowboarding, Jan Scherrer, finished 4^th. Only 15 years old, he was awarded the “Dani Lötscher Award” that recognizes the accomplishments of the best young rider in the competition.

Jan Scherrer. Photo: Messikommer

Final results NESCAFÉ CHAMPS Leysin 2010

1. Johann Baisamy (FRA), 2. Patrick Burgener (SUI), 3. Maxence Tevelle (FRA), 4. Jan Scherrer (SUI), 5. Sergio Berger (SUI), 6. David Djité (SUI), 7. Anthony Holland (AUS), 8. Rafael Imhof (SUI), 9. Dan Wakeham (GBR), 10. Matthias Meyer (SUI), 11. Levi Luggen (SUI), 12. Jonas Zbinden (SUI), 13. Thomas Ruegg (SUI), 14. Daniel Premand (SUI), 15. Darius Heristchian (SUI), 16. Petja Piiroinen (FIN), 17. Aurel Anthamatten (SUI), 18. Thomas Delfino (FRA)